Quick answer
Direct answer
Risk scores
| CVSS metric | What it means |
|---|---|
| Attack vector (AV:L) | Local access needed |
| Attack complexity (AC:L) | Low complexity |
| Privileges required (PR:L) | Low privileges required |
| User interaction (UI:N) | No user interaction |
| Scope (S:U) | Scope unchanged |
| Confidentiality (C:H) | High confidentiality impact |
| Integrity (I:H) | High integrity impact |
| Availability (A:H) | High availability impact |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
About Ibm Vios
CVE-2026-16935 affects Ibm Vios, a product from Ibm. Before acting, confirm where Ibm Vios runs in your estate, who owns it and whether it is reachable from the internet, because exposure decides real risk more than the score alone.
What the flaw is
In plain terms: IBM AIX 7.2, and 7.3 and IBM PowerVM VIOS 4.1 could allow a local attacker to gain elevated privileges due to a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition.
Based on its CVSS vector, the flaw needs local or adjacent access, needs some level of access, and needs no user interaction. Apply the vendor fix and confirm exposure on internet facing and business critical assets first.
Affected versions and timeline
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Ibm Vios |
| Affected versions | Vios from 4.1.0 before 4.1.0.50; Vios from 4.1.1.0 before 4.1.1.30; Vios from 4.1.2.0 before 4.1.2.20; Aix from 7.2.5 up to and including 7.2.5.212; Aix from 7.3.2 up to and including 7.3.2.5; Aix from 7.3.3 up to and including 7.3.3.2; Aix from 7.3.4 up to and including 7.3.4.1 |
| Published | Aug 20, 2026 |
| Last modified | Aug 26, 2026 |
| Added to CISA KEV | Not listed |
| Assigning CNA | psirt@us.ibm.com |
How to detect it
- Inventory every instance of Ibm Vios and record the running version against the affected range above.
- Check external attack surface scans for internet facing instances of the component.
- Review logs on affected systems for unusual requests, errors or new processes around the vulnerable function.
- Confirm with an authenticated vulnerability scan once your scanner has a check for this CVE.
How to fix it
- Apply the fixed version of Ibm Vios named in the vendor advisory.
- If patching must wait, restrict network access to the affected service and put it behind authentication or a web application firewall rule.
- Rescan after the change to prove the exposure is gone, then close the ticket.
CTEM action plan
| CTEM stage | What to do for this CVE |
|---|---|
| Scope | Add every business service that depends on Ibm Vios to the current CTEM cycle. |
| Discover | Find all instances, including shadow and cloud deployments, and record versions and exposure. |
| Prioritize | Rank using EPSS and CVSS together with asset exposure and business impact. |
| Validate | Confirm the flaw is reachable and exploitable in your environment and that compensating controls work. |
| Mobilize | Assign the fix to the asset owner with a due date matched to the priority, then verify closure. |
CWE References
Technical References
Frequently asked questions
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